Conventional pallet movement and loading is accomplished using forklift trucks or similar forked machines. These machines must pick up and deposit pallets on flat surfaces, as even the slightest vertical obstruction can prevent its use. This limitation presents problems when a palletized load needs to be loaded onto a vehicle or trailer that has side walls, even if the side walls are relatively short.
In large scale operations (e.g., ship yards, train yards, warehouses, distribution hubs, etc.), craning and other overhead solution are available because space and lifting capacity are much greater. However, in small scale operations (e.g., big box home improvement stores, retail or wholesale building supply stores, retail or wholesale landscaping material (e.g., stone) suppliers, etc.), employees must find a way to load palletized products onto customers' vehicles or trailers without damaging the vehicle or the load.
It is known to try to overcome this limitation by the use of simple slings, straps, or ropes affixed to the pallet and to the forks of the forked machine. However, slings, straps, and ropes can damage the pallets and destabilize the loads, making the use of these items dangerous. For small quantity pallet loading (e.g., 1-3 pallets), palletized loads are often hand loaded from the pallet onto the vehicle/trailer due to the forked machines' limitations. Such hand loading subjects people to injuries to hands, feet, backs, shoulders, etc., and exposes the palletized materials to damage. It is also known that employees may ignore the limitations of the forked machines and simply try to load the pallet directly onto the receiving vehicles (e.g., customers' vehicles/trailers), thereby risking damage to the receiving vehicles.